Johnson houses the worlds largest collection of astromaterials, and curation professionals there will perform the detailed disassembly of the Touch and Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) to get down to the bulk sample within. When the TAGSAM is separated from the container, it will be placed in a sealed transfer container to protect a nitrogen environment for up to about two hours. There is an extremely high level of focus from the group– the sample will be revealed with a fantastic quantity of precision to accommodate fragile hardware elimination so as not to come into contact with the sample inside.
Lockheed Martin Recovery Specialists Levi Hanish and Michael Kaye get rid of the cover of the sample return container. Credit: NASA/Robert Markowiz
NASA found debris on the OSIRIS-REx container, which will be thoroughly disassembled at the Johnson Space. The world awaits the samples expose in a live broadcast on October 11.
When the initial lid was eliminated today, NASA researchers discovered black dust and debris on the avionics deck of the OSIRIS-REx science container. The cylinder from the OSIRIS-REx sample return pill was provided to NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston on September 25 after landing in the Utah desert on September 24.
Johnson houses the worlds largest collection of astromaterials, and curation specialists there will perform the elaborate disassembly of the Touch and Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) to get down to the bulk sample within. These operations are occurring in a new lab developed specifically for the OSIRIS-REx mission. The aluminum cover was removed inside a glovebox designed to allow dealing with the large piece of hardware.
By Shaneequa Vereen, NASAs Johnson Space
September 26, 2023
When the TAGSAM is separated from the canister, it will be inserted in a sealed transfer container to protect a nitrogen environment for approximately about 2 hours. This container permits sufficient time for the group to insert the TAGSAM into another unique glovebox. Ultimately, this accelerate the disassembly procedure. There is a really high level of focus from the group– the sample will be exposed with an amazing amount of accuracy to accommodate delicate hardware elimination so as not to come into contact with the sample inside.
With a range of employee on deck, researchers and engineers at Johnson will interact to complete the disassembly process and expose the sample to the world in an unique live broadcast occasion on October 11.
